Never Walk Away
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Rodolphus rushes to offer Narcissa comfort.


**Title:** Never Walk Away  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** Rodolphus/Narcissa  
 **Warnings:** Miscarriage  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 873  
 **Summary:** Rodolphus rushes to offer Narcissa comfort.

 **Notes:**

 **Last Ship Sailing Competition:** 1\. Quote: "I swear that when our lips touch, I can taste the next sixty years of my life."- Rudy Francisco / 4. Object: quilt / 5. Word: glorious / 6. Word: storm / 8. Dialogue: "You don't have to leave." **Bonus Prompts:** 1\. Dialogue: "Where are your shoes?" / 4. Word: impromptu / 5. Emotion: helpless

 **Pokemon Trading Card Collection Challenge:** Arbok – Platinum - Write about someone plotting revenge.

 **Greek Mythology Category Competition:** Achlys - Write about sadness

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Transfiguration - For this assignment I would like you to write about strength and weakness. How something or someone that seems so strong and sure can be changed and their soft, weaker side revealed. **Prompt:** (emotion) Anger

 **Lucky Duck Bi-Weekly Competition:** 8\. Rodolphus Lestrange

 **Hogwarts Writing Club:** Round 9 - Dolls

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **[Writing Club!] The Word Prompt Express - Prompt Used – 316. Final

* * *

It was a storm outside, but there was also a storm going on within Narcissa. She held the quilt to her body, wishing for comfort from it, but at the same time, she knew she needed more than just a quilt.

She wished for her husband, but she knew that wasn't possible. He was angry, and his anger was directed at her. He thought her defective. Surely something had to be wrong with her if she couldn't carry a baby to term. Thousands of women did it every day. Why was Narcissa so special that her body killed her child?

 _'Her son,'_ her mind reminded her.

It was all going to be glorious. Her, Lucius, and their son. They would be a small family, but a happy one. Now those dreams were gone, and she was sure Lucius was gone as well.

There was a clause in their marriage contract that stated that if she couldn't birth a heir, he had a right to get a divorce, and she knew Lucius. She knew he would be looking into it right now.

There was no love between them. There had never been, but they had respected each other. Now though, whatever high esteem Lucius held for her was dead, along with their never-born son.

The door to the small Black cottage crashed open, and she looked at it in surprise. She noticed an angry Rodolphus, his robe open and his feet bare. The only thing she could think to ask was, "Where are your shoes?"

Rodolphus looked down at his feet, and then looked back at her. "It was an impromptu decision to visit you."

"And you couldn't put shoes on first?" she asked as she slowly blinked.

Rodolphus took a step forward. "I just wanted to get to you." Suddenly, his anger was back, if it had actually ever left. "I can't believe Lucius! How can he turn his back on you when you need him the most? He's not the only one that lost a child!"

Narcissa looked down at her lap. "You know we were never in love."

"It doesn't matter. A man stands by his wife no matter what."

Narcissa swallowed. "Is that why you didn't marry Bella?" she asked, finally allowing herself to fully look at him. She wasn't angry at him for leaving her older sister—after all, the woman had destroyed Narcissa dolls as a child and then laughed at Narcissa's sadness—but she never understood how Rodolphus could walk away from his duty when Narcissa had been too scared to do the same thing.

Rodolphus moved to her. He took the seat next to her but made sure to not touch her. "I knew I would never be able to stand at her side, and she didn't even care when I broke off the engagement. For once, I decided to follow my heart."

"And were almost disowned for it," Narcissa quietly pointed out.

Rodolphus nodded. "I know. If it wasn't for Rabastan threatening to leave as well, they would have disowned me. Thank Merlin for little brothers."

Just as quickly as it came, the light-hearted interlude ended. "It's not fair. I've never felt this helpless before."

Rodolphus clenched his fists. "I will get my revenge on Lucius. _He_ should be here instead of me."

"I'm sorry I'm such a bother," she muttered, pulling the quilt tighter to her body.

Finally, his hand touched her, just a light caress to her wet cheek, and she startlingly realized she was crying. "You're not a bother; you're never a bother, but this isn't the way things are supposed to be, and you know it."

"I know," she whispered. She leaned into his touch and continued, "But I'm glad you're here."

The hardness on Rodolphus's face was completely erased. "I'm so sorry. If I can do anything for you..."

"Just be here for me," she begged.

"Of course." He leaned away and held his arm out, and she crawled into his lap, burying her face into his chest."

They fell asleep like that, and when Narcissa had nightmares about her son yelling at her for killing him, Rodolphus took care of her, running his fingers through her hair and murmuring soothing words into her ears.

And the next morning, when he got up to leave for his own home, Narcissa stood up from the couch on shaky legs. "You don't have to leave."

Rodolphus stared at her. "I don't?"

She nodded. "We never married because I was already betrothed to Lucius, but I know he's seeking to break our marriage contract. There's nothing keeping us apart now. That is... if you still want me."

He cupped her cheek. "I remember kissing you all of those years ago. I thought I could taste the next sixty years of my life, but it didn't happen. And now, I finally have another chance. If you want me, I won't ever walk away from you."

They shared one final look as their lips slowly moved towards each other. There was no hesitance in either of their gazes. With complete confidence, they shared—not their very first—but their first kiss in a long time, and both of them hoped it wouldn't be their last.


End file.
